Q: We intended to crate train our puppy and read that the crate is like a den — that dogs naturally enjoy having their own place. When we put him in, he screamed and screamed. Crating seems cruel. Why does our dog not like his crate? Is it wrong to skip crate training altogether?

A: Crates are not the same as dens because of one key difference: They have doors that lock the dog in. Normal dogs need to learn to enjoy the crate.

Puppies are especially prone to struggling if recently separated from littermates. Not only are they learning to enjoy to the crate, they are adjusting to being on their own.

While many owners have raised puppies successfully without confinement, owners should put the effort into crate training. Most dogs, at one point or another, need to stay in a kennel at a veterinary clinic. In emergencies, such as the recent floods across Canada, owners may have to crate their pets. Crate training during an emergency is training under duress.

Introduce the crate by tossing a few treats inside. Do not close the door. Let the puppy get comfortable walking in and out of it.

Next open and close the door. Crates doors may be noisy and scary. Drop a few treats through the bars of the crate while the puppy is inside. Then open the door and let them back out.

When ready to leave the dog alone, make sure they are tired and have an empty bowel and bladder. Do not leave them in the crate for too long. The general rule of thumb is the age of the dog in months plus one. This means a three-month-old puppy should stay in a crate a maximum of four hours. Plus, some dogs may need to be let out sooner.

Our new dog chews shoes. When we catch her in the act, we say “no.” She does not seem to understand chewing shoes is wrong. If anything, she sees us coming and starts to play catch me if you can. How can we fix this?

Dogs need to chew. It helps keep their teeth clean. However, it is critical they learn to discern between acceptable and unacceptable objects.

Begin by putting all shoes out of reach. This will not fix the problem, but at least your dog won’t be reinforcing bad behaviour.

Do not engage in chase games. Dogs find these particularly rewarding. No amount of chastising will override the joy that comes from playing catch me if you can. Stay calm and move slowly.

Try using taste deterrent sprays such as http://www.bitterapple.com/Bitter AppleEND. Find an old shoe, remove any decorations that could become a choking hazard and spray liberally. Leave the sprayed shoe in plain sight when you are able to supervise. The dog learns that bones taste better than shoes. Owners may need to re-spray every couple of days until new habits form.

Some dogs enjoy taste deterrent sprays — spot test the product on one item first as a precaution.

A clever solution is to teach your dog to fetch shoes instead of chewing them. This eliminates the problem, and owners get the added benefit of having a dog that fetches slippers.